Many people often get frustrated upon seeing that much- dreaded zit right smack in your face or a cold sore at the corner of your mouth as you wake up one morning, most especially when it appears during an important appointment or meeting about to take place.
But fret no more, since there are practical and effective ways to prevent a pimple from coming out and making your day.
Pimples occur when the skin pores are clogged with a oil called sebum, which is normally secreted by the skin to lubricate the hair and skin.
This is prevalent especially among adolescents as they enter puberty where hormones tend to overproduce sebum.
It is the face that is often suspectible to this condition since the face especially the forehead, cheeks nose and chin where many of the sebaceous glands producing sebum are found.
However, there are ways to prevent, better yet, avoid pimples from occurring or breaking out and here are some of the most common yet practical ways to prevent pimples or acne from breaking out.
Wash the face twice a day, most especially if you have just been subjected to dust and grime by using a mild soap and warm water.
Make sure to gently massage the face with circular motions and do not attempt to scrub, since scrubbing or even overwashing can irritate or damage the skin.
To further prevent pimples from coming back, also apply an over the counter topical ointment or cream with benzoyl peroxide, which will help decrease skin oil and bacteria.
Do not pop or squeeze out the pimple, no matter how tempting or irresistible it may seem, since it will only serve to cause more harm than good.
Popping a pimple will only tend to drive infected sebum deeper into the pore and result further in redness, swelling and even worse, scarring. If you feel the need to have it removed, see a dermatologist who can better get rid of it for you without the fear of getting infected or scarred.
Always avoid touching the face with your bare fingers, especially without sanitizing or washing your hands thoroughly, or allowing the face to come in direct contact with objects that would tend to collect sebum from other people, like the handset of a telephone or borrowing a facial towel, since it may cause your pimples or acne to become more irritated or infected.
If you often wear sunglasses or eyeglasses, make sure to keep it clean all the time, most especially parts of the eyewear that come into contact with the skin, since it could collect sebum that would aggravate pimples or acne.
For people who get acne on parts of their body, make sure to avoid wearing tight-fitting clothes that prevent your skin from breathing, thus further causing more infection. Also avoid wearing scarves, caps, headbands and any piece of clothing that would prevent the skin from breathing and may collect oil or dirt.
Always make it a point to remove makeup before going to sleep. Look for makeup products that are labeled "noncomedogenic" or "nonacnegenic" since these are formulated to prevent pimples. Don’t hesitate to throw away old makeup that smells or looks different from when it was first bought.
Always keep hair clean and away from making contact with the face to prevent dirt and oil from clogging the pores.
Lastly, protect the skin from the sun. Although many believe that a tan can conceal acne, it's but temporary and may even cause the body to produce extra sebum. Worse, too much exposure to the sun can increase the risk of getting skin cancer.
Always be on the winning edge in the war against acne and it does not take much to know these tips on skin care to prevent pimples.